Does childhood trauma affect your adult life? Healing the wounds of childhood (BOOK REVIEW)

Here we review the book “Healing the Wounds of Childhood” by Don St John, Ph.D., a book about healing from traumatic childhood experiences by treating the mind, emotions, and body. Here is why you should get your hands on it.

4
minute read

A book that can help heal old wounds

Don St. John, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist, somatic-relational teacher, and a retired Hellerwork Structural Integration Practitioner and Trainer. He is the author of the award winning book “Healing the Wounds of Childhood: A psychologist’s journey and discoveries from wretched beginnings to a thriving life” – a very helpful and autobiographic material, combined with:

  • physiology
  • psychology
  • science
  • somatics
  • spirituality

Continue reading our review of “Healing the Wounds of Childhood” to learn more about Don’s life story and the importance of integrating the body (somatic therapies) when healing from childhood trauma. At the end, we invite you to post questions or share your feedback regarding this book.

Childhood trauma experiences begin early!

Our negative experiences (as well as positive ones) shape our mind, world-view, emotional expression, and our life as adults. But, it doesn’t begin in childhood! Our time in the womb and the birth experience can also affect us.

When we are born, as children we all have a need for someone who is caring and present, who will provide secure emotional relationships, someone we can bond with. Our early bonding experiences affect our relationship capacities further in life.

What will you learn from “Healing the Wounds of Childhood”?

1. You will learn more about how YOU CAN RESOLVE trauma.

Don had all odds against him as his story begins as an unwanted pregnancy, with a near-death experience at birth. Don’s traumas continued from infancy all the way through adolescence when he endured severe emotional and physical abuse. And the beauty of this book is that you can learn through his process. He introduces us to the concepts related to trauma and offers PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS and SPIRITUAL PRACTICES to resolve them.

2. You will learn more about basic human needs.

At first, you will get familiarized with a universal human need to be:

  • engaged in life
  • healthy
  • known
  • loved
  • seen
  • validated

Most of all, we all wish to form committed relationships and stay closely connected with our partners. However, we never want to lose our sense of autonomy, and want our choices and interests to be respected.

3. You will learn how trauma affects the body.

Then, a great moment of epiphany: The wounds, stress and trauma do not only affect our mental and emotional health, but also influence our whole body structure. Every cell, tissue, and organ system is changed by such life experiences. That’s why it is important to address all parts of You when trying to heal. In fact, our body, mind, beliefs, and our relationship capacities are closely related.

4. You will learn about how trauma affects the brain.

The author then brings us closer to the way the brain, the nervous system, and the ‘heart brain’ work. He uses the term ’emotional nutrients’ and explains how not receiving those emotional nutrients can influence our development and make us incapable of building healthy coping mechanisms for stress.

Professional treatment and processes

After the childhood reflections and educational information that help you understand trauma and what it does, Don offers a set of different disciplines and treatments that have made a huge impact in his healing journey. More specifically, he integrates personal experiences and benefits from the following therapies:

1. Reichigan therapy of Wilheim Reich
2. Structural Integration of Ida Rolf
3. Continuum Movement therapy of Emilie Conrad
4. Somatic Therapy of philosopher Thomas Hanna
5. Somatic Experiencing (SE) of Dr. Peter Levine
6. Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy of Diana Fosha
7. Heart Consciousness of Brugh Joy

Most importantly, the author states that we always bear the potential in our lives for positive change and growth. After all, with our resilience and adaptability, we are capable of healing our wounds and continuing forward without any blockades.

3 main lessons of “Healing the Wounds of Childhood”

1. Gestation, birth, and bonding experiences in childhood and later in life influence how the brain, image of self, world-view, and our relationships are formed.

2. In order to heal from childhood trauma, we need to address every aspect of our being, including our mind, emotions and body.

3. It is never too late to heal, reach your full capacities and have a thriving life, regardless of your age and life experiences.

Why do we recommend it?

“Healing the Wounds of Childhood” is a helpful, hopeful reading that bestows motivation and hope in people who want to heal from childhood wounds and let love in. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to become whole, become a more coherent being and is on a journey of self discovery.

Don’s childhood story is full of suffering, which lead him to shut down and become emotionally numb. However, not only people with extremely traumatic childhood events have suffered of wounding. In fact, there are many experiences in life that we often tend to overlook, which later block our ability to be open to all emotions and let love in.

How can you act autonomously and freely, or engage in meaningful and close relationships if they have been wounded by traumatic events? Follow the author’s lead.

Do you have any questions?

If you would like to learn more about Don St John’s life story and treatment disciplines, you can get his book and read it. We also encourage you to post your questions in the section below and we’ll try to answer in a personal and prompt manner. If we do not know the answer to your inquiry, we’ll be happy to refer you to someone who can help.

About the author
Ivana helps moderate Addiction Blog by providing helpful comments and suggestions to our readers. She is also an optimist and a dreamer. Ivana is inspired by books, travels, conversations and people and we are so grateful to have her on our team.
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